Tafelen der wet, wapentuig en ornament met doodshoofden 1683 - 1733

Curator: Here we have a striking engraving by Bernard Picart, created sometime between 1683 and 1733. The title, "Tafelen der wet, wapentuig en ornament met doodshoofden," translates to "Tables of the Law, weaponry and ornament with skulls." Quite a mouthful! Editor: It's definitely arresting. The immediate impression is one of ornate morbidity, wouldn’t you agree? The detailed skull motifs are juxtaposed with those swirling, decorative elements…It's Baroque gone goth. Curator: Indeed. The use of skulls in this period was quite common in memento mori imagery, reminding viewers of their mortality. Considering Picart was a key figure in disseminating illustrations through printmaking, we might think about the audience and context for such a piece. Was it a luxury item? A tool for philosophical contemplation? Editor: Good question. The printmaking process itself would have involved significant labor – the carving of the image onto a plate, the inking, the pressing. It was a skilled craft, which is interesting considering the grim subject matter. Is there any record of the societal consumption around this type of artwork? Curator: Well, Picart created many book illustrations and prints intended for a wider audience than just the elite. The rise of print culture made imagery more accessible, influencing tastes and shaping public perceptions on morality and religion. Death became a common subject due to epidemic waves during that time. Editor: Right, making the social commentary inherent in it quite direct. Think about the Baroque period, often associated with lavishness and power, and here, rendered so meticulously, is the constant presence of death looming underneath the artifice. What institutions supported its circulation? Curator: Museums and libraries have certainly preserved prints like these, recognizing their historical and artistic importance. But even private collectors throughout the centuries contributed to its survival, indicating a sustained interest in these themes. Also consider the artist and their skills to realize such level of details within engravings. Editor: That sustained interest is revealing. What better encapsulates a constant cultural tension, really: creation meeting its inevitable destruction. Curator: I think looking at it this way reveals how objects themselves participate in the story that we keep telling. Editor: Precisely. Every line, every skull tells us something of labor and process. An object in the middle that makes us consider past, present, and what could happen tomorrow.